At least in Germany this is about the act of recording and the act of publishing. But in reality if you are not publishing, most recordings will never be notice

At least in Germany this is about the act of recording and the act of publishing. But in reality if you are not publishing, most recordings will never be noticed by the people on the pictures. Also there are limitations, e.g. implicit consent or "panoramic freedom" (when the people on the picture are not recognizable).